A FEMALE suicide bomber has killed at least 10 people including two top sports officials in Somalia today.

The explosion at the newly reopened national theatre happened as Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was standing at the podium to deliver a speech.

He was unharmed in the attack which killed the president of Somalia's Olympic committee and the president of its soccer federation.

The bombing has shattered a tentative peace that descended on Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after fighters belonging to the Islamist group al-Shabab were pushed out last August by government and African Union troops.

Despite the government reporting that a female suicide bomber carried out the attack, al-shabab have claimed responsibility for the deaths, saying on its official Twitter that explosives had been planted inside the theatre.

The months of relative peace in Mogadishu had allowed sports leagues to blossom and revive businesses in the seaside capital.

Wednesday's ceremony — two weeks after the theater reopened — was held to mark the first anniversary of the start of a national TV station.

"It was a cowardly act and that will not deter the government from performing its national duties," Osman said.

"The prime minister will energize the government to eliminate the terrorists out of the country." Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu's ambulance service, said at least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded. He said the wounded included the country's national planning minister.

"The blast happened as musicians were singing and spectators were clapping for them," said Salah Jimale, who was in attendance at the theatre but received only light scratches.

"Huge smoke made the whole scene go dark. People screamed and soldiers suddenly started opening fire at the gate. Some wounded people escaped and ran away."

The International Olympic Committee issued a statement saying it was "shocked to hear of the terrorist attack that took the lives of the President of the Somali Olympic Committee Aden Yabarow Wiish and Somali Football Federation chief Said Mohamed Nur today in Mogadishu."

"Both men were engaged in improving the lives of Somalian people through sport and we strongly condemn such an act of barbarism. Our thoughts are with the Somalian sporting community who lost two great leaders and with the families of the victims," the IOC said.